Chavis Park, Raleigh

John Chavis Memorial Park, commonly referred to as Chavis Park, is a 28.87-acre public park located near Shaw University in the South Park neighborhood of Southeast Raleigh. The park, named after John Chavis-a free Black educator, Presbyterian minister, and American Revolutionary War veteran-was established in 1937 and became a landmark for the local community. Chavis opened his first school near what is now the park’s grounds in 1808, making the location historically significant.

Funded by the Works Progress Administration (WPA) during the era of Jim Crow laws, Chavis Park was part of a broader initiative to provide separate recreational facilities for Black Americans. Its construction demonstrated the complicity of federal and local governments with segregation policies. As a counterpart to the nearby Pullen Park, which restricted access for Black citizens, Chavis Park aimed to offer "separate but equal" amenities. Upon its opening in 1938, the park drew carloads of visitors from across North Carolina, becoming a central gathering place for the Black community.

Designed by G. Robert Derick, a landscape architect with the National Park Service, Chavis Park features rustic and natural elements that embody the "parkitecture" style of the 1930s. The park’s structures-such as its amphitheater and two bridges crossing a small stream-are characterized by brown and tan stone exteriors, rough-log frames, and mature canopy trees. The early 20th-century Allan Herschell carousel remains the park's main attraction, with its intricate designs and rich history.

Chavis Park was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on April 19, 2016, cementing its status as a culturally and historically important site. Today, the park offers a variety of indoor and outdoor spaces, including a playground, community center, gymnasium, and a half-mile segment of Raleigh's Capital Area Greenway that runs through it. Visitors can also enjoy amenities such as tennis courts, a lit outdoor track, picnic shelters, and a game room, making it a vibrant recreational hub for people of all ages.